Gas or vapor converter device.



M. VON REOKLINGHAUSEN. GAS 0R VAPOR CONVERTER DEVICE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV.12, 1903- Patented Sept. 15,1914.

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GAS 0R VAPOR CONVERTER DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1903.

Patented Sept. 15,1914.

UNITEI) STATES FATENT OFFICE.

MAX voN RECKLINGHAUSEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY LIESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914..

Application filed November 12, 1903. Serial No. 180,965.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX VON REoKLiNo- HAUSEN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and resident of New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas or Vapor Converter Devices, of which the following is a specification.

When it is desired to construct and use vapor converters such as are represented by the well-known mercury vapor apparatus of this class, it is often advantageous, especially when apparatus of large capacity is required to construct the devices mainly of metal and to maintain electrodes within the devices, the negative electrode being as a rule in contact with the body of the container, and the positive electrode or electrodes being insulated by any suitable means from the said body. The problem of constructing efficient apparatus under these conditions involves questions of insulation and sealing and other similar matters all of which are highly important to the successful operation of tne devices and to the maintaining of the requisite high vacuum inside the containing vessel. The question of short circuits also arises and means generally have to be provided whereby such short circuits may be avoided.

The present invention relates to a nove form of apparatus of the general character set forth above, and its details will be fully described in the present specificationend illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through my improved vapor converte showing also a diagram of circuits which may be employed in connection therewith Figs. 2 and 3 are detail viewsshowing different modes of securing an efliclent seal for the apparatus; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing means for supporting and 1nsulating one of the positive electrodes of the apparatus and preventing short circuits; and Fig. 5 illustrates a mod fied construction for the same purposes. I

Referring to the drawings, 1 18 a 'vesselor metal, preferably steel or copper, and 2 is a cap or cover of the same material as the veSSeL At th bottom of the vessel 1 "18 formed a cup, 3, containing mercury, 1, constituting the negative ele tr p' the pp ratus. iThe mercury is in direct contact with the metal of the vessel 1, which may accordingly be itself considered a portion of the negative electrode. As a means for securing a good seal as between the vessel and the cap or cover 2, I may provide the vessel with a shoulder, 5, and a flange, (3, and may either, as illustrated in Fig. 3, press the cap directly upon the shoulder 5, or I may interpose, as shown in Fig. 2, a strip or ring, 7, of asbestos or other suitable packing, pressure being applied in each instance to secure a good connection by means of clamps, 8, 8, secured by screw bolts, 9, 9. To complete the seal, I prefer to add mercury, as shown at 10, whereby a perfect seal is produced, capable of sustaining with the containing vessel a very high vacuum. The joint between the cap 2 and the shoulder 5 in Fig. 3 is preferably a ground joint.

In the present instance I have shown 2 positive electrodes, 11 and 12, and have illustrated more particularly in Figs. 1 and 5 means for supporting and insulating the said electrodes with respect to the cap or cover 2. In Fig. 5, for example, the electrode 12 is formed on or supported by a rod, 13, which is screw threaded at its top and connected by such screw thread with a cone shaped metallic piece, 1 1, the latter is set into a tube, 15, of glass or other good iiisulating material, the same being shaped internally to receive and form a good joint with the metallic piece 14 at a point substantially in line with the top of the cap or cover 2. Below the auction between the parts 14- and 15 the latter is formed into a tube of cylindrical shape surrounding the rod 13. In other words, the tube 15 consists of two cylindrical portions of differing diameters connected by an inclined portion adapted to surround and fit the metal piece 14. The inclined portion of the tube 15 is itself sur rounded by a screw bushing, 16, capable of being screwed into the cap or cover 2, as shown. Electrical connection with the positive side of the circuit is made through the mercury, 17, placed in the upper part of the tube 15 and resting on the metallic piece 14..

The mercury 17 serves not only as a circuit connection but also as a seal, as will be readily understood. I also place mercury outside the tube 15 at the annulus where it is surrounded by the nut 01' washer, l6, and I also apply mercury to the junction point between the flange 18, at the top of the said nut, and the cap or cover 2.

In Fig. 1 another mode of support and insulation for the positive electrode is shown. Here the cover 2 is provided with a cylinder, 19, which may be formed on said cover, and a tube 20, of glass or other good insulating material, passes down through this cylinder and through the cover itself into the chamber of the container. The electrode 11 is mounted on a rod, 21, which is shouldered at 22 and screw threaded at the top to enter a metallic support, 23, within the tube 20. The cylinder 19 has a screw thread connection with the nut 24 which immediately surrounds the tube 20. Between the walls of the tube 20' and the cylinder 19 on the out side is a packing of asbestos or similar material and between the inner walls of the said tube and the rod 21 is a similar'packing, the two packings being shown respectively at 25 and 26. By suitable adjustment of the packings 25 and 26, the tube 20 may be firmly held in position while by means of mercury seals, 27, 28 and 29 all leakage of air into the containing vessel will be avoided.

It is found in operating devices of this class, particularly where the vacuum is for any reason imperfect, that the film of mercury is liable to be formed on the insulating tube which surrounds the positive electrode supports and that this film it carried far enough may cause a short-circuit between the positive and negative. electrodes. To avoid this I may arrange the positive electrode as indicated in Fig. 5 where it is formedinto an upright cup on the lower end of the rod 13 and located so as to surround the lower end of the insulating tube 15. Owing to the great heat which is developed at the positive electrode, the lower end of the tube 15 will be so highly heated by the radiation or convection from the electrode 12 that no condensation of mercury will take place at that part of the tube. Consequently there will be no opportunity for the short circuit under such conditions. I have indicated at 30 a film of mercury due to condensation as clescribed, showing, however, the lower end of the tube 15 free from such a film. Another mode of preventing the film from causing a short-circuit is indicated in Fig. 4 where the tube 20 is made to project so far above the electrode 11 that it leaves a space toward the top of the tube which is too remote for the deposition of mercury to take place. In other words, the mercury of condensation is all deposited on the inner walls of the tube before it reaches a point where it might cause or come into contact with the rod '21, even though such rod might touch the tube near its uppen end. A further danger which is to be guarded against in the o eration of these vapor converters is due to t e develop ment at the negative electrode of what is known as negative electrode flame. There appears to be a tendency for such a flame to attach itself to the solid portions surrounding the negative electrode, and this leads to l a disintegration of the surrounding portion in case it is formed of metal. By introducing into the cup containing the mercury constituting the negative electrode, a ring of porcelain or the like, as shown at 31, and by starting the flame inside the said ring, the flame can be prevented from attacking the metal and the difliculty mentioned above can be avoided. i

To insure the proper starting of the device into operation, I may pass through the cap 2 a glass or porcelain tube, 32, a suitable packing box being provided for insuring a good seal. This packing box may be similar to either of those already described in connection with the insulating tubes surrounding the positive electrode leads. Into the tube I may insert a wire, 83, and cause its lower end to impinge against the inner wall of the tube at or near the surface of the mercury electrode 4. The wire may be connected in any suitable manner with the positive side of the circuit, when it'forms what may be called an internal starting band, acting on the same principle as the starting band described in certain patents issued to Mr. Peter Cooper Hewitt on the 17th day of September, 1901. For the sake of clearness I have shown a direct current generator, 34, having one pole connected to the negative electrode 4 and the opposite pole connected to the positive electrodes 11 and 12 and also to the wire 33. In the circuit is included an inductance device, 35, and a snap or quick-break switch, 36, is connected in a shunt circuit around the said inductance device. I may include a resistance, 37, in this shunt circuit. The action of starting the converter is now well-known, but I may say that on operating the switch, 36, whose terminals are usually placed under oil, the shunt circuit is broken,-the energy stored in the inductance is discharged through the converter, thereby starting the apparatus into operation. The operation continues by virtue of the current from the generator 34.

I have mentioned asbestosias a suitable material for the packing illustrated at 25 and 26, but owing to the fact that the presence of carbon in a converter of this kind is injurious, I prefer that asbestos, if used, should first have its rubber binder burnt out, thus removing the carbon. In general, I do not wish to confine myself to the use of asbestos, and may use any material which is in such mechanical condition that it can be used as a packing, preferably, however, noncarboniferous material. I may indeed use packings in powdered form, such as powdered magnesia or the like. It is only necessary, besides the other conditions mentioned,

by packings of heat-resisting that the material used as the packing should be flexible and compressible, preferably without carbon in it or associated with it.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a metallic vessel and a metallic cover or cap therefor, of a positive electrode supported below the said cap, a rod constituting the direct means of support, an insulating tube surrounding the said rod and a stuffing box surrounding the said tube, and means for pressing the insulating tube upon both inside and outside material whereby both insulation and support are provided for the positive electrode.

2. In a vapor converter, a metallic receptacle, an electrode contained therein and in contact therewith, positive electrodes electrically insulated therefrom, and a mercury seal between the positive electrodes and the container.

3. In a vapor converter having a positive electrode and a metallic support therefor provided with a stem liable to become highly heated during operation, a tube surrounding the said stem also in danger of excessive heating during the operating period, in

combination with a packing of heat resisting.

material interposed between the stem and the tube.

4. In avapor converter having a positive electrode and a metallic support therefor provided with a stem liable to become highly heated during operation, a tube surrounding the said stem also in danger of excessive heating during the operating period, in combination with a packing of heat resisting material interposed between the stem and the tube and protected by a liquid seal.

5. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination of a vaporizable electrode, an anode and means for preserving the anode from contact with particles of vaporizable material condensed and falling in said apparatus.

6. In a mercury vapor rectifier, comprising a completely exhausted container and suitable electrodes, at least one of which is of vaporizable material, means for protecting an anode from vaporizable material moving under the influence of gravity. said means consisting of a shield located above said anode.

7 In a mercury vapor rectifier, comprising a completely exhausted container and suitable electrodes, at least one of which is of vaporizable material, means for protecting an anode from vaporizable material moving under the influence of gravity, said means consisting of an insulating shield located above said anode.

8. In a mercury vapor rectifier, comprising a-complet'ely exhausted container and suitable electrodes, at least one of which is of vaporizable material, means for protecting an anode from vaporizable material moving under the influence of gravity, said means. consisting of a glass shield located above said anode. v

9. In a mercury vapor rectifier, comprising a completely exhausted container and suitable electrodes, the combination of an anode therein a vaporizable cathode also therein, and an insulating shield located directly above and over-hanging said anode.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 21st day of October, A. D. 1903.

MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSEN.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CAPEL, GEORGE H. STOCKBRIDGE. 

